University of Minnesota Athletics
Women's Tennis Well-Represented in Finals at Rice Invitational
9/28/2002 12:00:00 AM | Tennis
Senior Amy Thomas reached the finals of the "Gray" singles bracket at the Rice Invitational, while the doubles team of Valerie Vladea and Michaela Havelkova will play in the championship round of the "Blue" doubles bracket. The tournament concludes on Sunday afternoon.
Thomas defeated Erika Leuszler of SMU, 7-6 (6), 6-3 on Saturday and will face Nadia Vaughan of SMU on Sunday in the final. In the other semifinal matchup, Golden Gopher freshman Nischela Reddy was defeated by Vaughan, 6-2, 6-4.
In doubles play, the 29th-ranked duo of Vladea and Havelkova won a pair of matches to reach the finals of the "Blue" bracket. In the second round, they ousted Bjorkman and Chan of Long Beach State, 8-6, and defeated Hollands and Pouliot from Arizona in the semifinals, 8-5. The pair will face the nation's fourth-ranked doubles team of Debbie Larocque and Maja Mlakar from Arizona on Sunday. In the other semifinal match, Minnesota's Nischela Reddy and Jeannette Cluskey were defeated by Larocque and Mlakar, 8-0.
In other singles action, in the "Gray" bracket, junior Jeanette Cluskey was defeated by No. 13 Maja Mlakar from Arizona in the semifinals, 6-1, 7-5. She will face Blair Disesa from Rice for third place.
In the "Gray" singles consolation bracket, senior Michaela Havelkova advanced to the finals with a 7-5, 6-1 win over Megan Bjorkman from Long Beach State.
Rice Invitational
"Blue" Singles
Valerie Vladea
lost to Jeri Gonzales (Rice), 4-6, 6-4, 2-6
Jeannette Cluskey
Semis ? lost to Maja Mlakar (Arizona), 1-6, 5-7
"Gray" Singles
Nischela Reddy
Semis ? lost to Nadia Vaughan (SMU), 2-6, 4-6
Amy Thomas
Semis ? def. Allison Leuszler (SMU), 7-6 (6), 6-3
Michaela Havelkova
Consolation semis ? def. Megan Bjorkman (LBSU), 7-5, 6-1
"White" Singles
Brandi Watts
def. Christina Mancheno (Lee), 7-5, 7-6 (2)
Cici Anderson
lost to Velvet Canada (TAMU), 1-6, 1-6
Kandis Batiste
def. Bonnie White (LSU), 6-2, 6-4
"Blue" Doubles
Reddy/Cluskey
2nd round ? def. Chao/Gonzales (Rice), 8-6
Semis ? lost to Mlakar/Larocque (Arizona), 0-8
Vladea/Havelkova
2nd round ? def. Bjorkman/Chan (LBSU), 8-6
Semis ? def. Hollands/Pouliot (Arizona), 8-5
Anderson/Batiste
Consolation 2nd round ? lost to Carson/Vaughan (SMU), 3-8
